Antibes is a sleepy old Mediterranean town by the sea across the Baie Des Anges (Bay of Angels) from Nice. In late spring and early summer, this little place becomes alive with its little harbour filled with fishing boats. More importantly, pleasure yachts belonging to the rich and famous gather here to pick up their guests as well as to do provisioning for their summer cruise season. During my time as Executive Sous Chef onboard Lady Moura (right), this was one of my favourite ports of call as it was also a town where English was widely spoken.

Marche Port Antibes is a smaller version of Marche Forville, but being situated in the heart of an old town with no modern architecture in sight, a trip to the market often creates a nostalgic feeling akin to walking back in history. Cafes and boulangeries in and nearby the market provide a whiff of aromatically brewed coffees and freshly baked French pastries.

At the entrance to the market, rotisserie shops display racks of succulent roasted chickens, stuffed pork loins with prunes, baby short ribs and home made potato crisps. The aromas of roasting chickens, freshly baked pastries from nearby patisseries and boulangeries and French accordion music from street buskers created a charming atmosphere as we soaked up the best of a rustic old French town.

Walking through the market was a visual treat for the senses as you see rows of local produce from marinated olives, artisanal cheeses, sausages, infused oils, spices, fresh herbs and home made pates. As we were non-locals, the stall owners were not only friendly to us but also invited us to sample some of their produce on display.

In the market, besides the regular fruit and vegetable selections, the most significant sight is that of the local fishermen selling their daily catch. When coastal weather permits, the boats come in daily up with their catch from the Mediterranean. Some of the freshest seafood that I have found here are line caught Mediterranean seabass, black and red Dorado (sea bream), monkfish, tuna, swordfish ,sea urchins (seasonal), octopus, calamari (squid) and divers scallops. Oysters and mussels were in season with many being snapped up by shoppers and local restaurants as soon the crates were opened.

Marche aux Fleurs, Old Town, Nice

Situated on cours Saleya, located behind the Vieille Ville, or Old Town, Marche aux Fleurs is dominated by huge selections of flowers grown by the farmers in the local Rivera region and the Alps Maritimes. These florists here are not only keen to sell their flowers to you, but are also willing to conduct the serious business of adorning the interiors of homes and businesses with bouquets.

Nice is also home to the Nicoise olives grown in the surrounding regions which lends its name to a significant Provencal dish, Salad Nicoise. The olives are harvested, cured and marinated before being sold as snacks or used in cooking. Also noteworthy are a few stalls here which sell wonderful homemade jams, marmalades, bons bons (boiled sweets) and candies.